Do They Work? One OB-GYN Weighs In

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

It itches, it burns and it’s painful when you urinate or have sex. Recognize the symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection?

They occur when an ordinary fungus (called Candida albicans), which already exists in the vagina, overgrows and causes uncomfortable symptoms like itching and burning.

Yeast can grow for many reasons, including stress, diet, chronic conditions, even pregnancy. About 75% of women will get vaginal yeast infections at some point in their lives – and you can’t always get an appointment with your doctor when symptoms hit – so home remedies abound.

Lifescript asked you to share your favorite home cures on our Facebook page, and we got some interesting responses.

Do any of them work?

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

For answers, we asked M. Jonathon Solnik, M.D., co-director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery and an attending physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, to comment.

All the home remedies below should be considered individually and with your doctor’s permission. What works for one woman may not work for another.

Dr. Solnik: There’s not much science behind it, but there seems to be a host of foods with a higher glycemic index [which measures a food’s impact on blood sugar levels] that seem to predispose women to vaginal yeast infections.

I wouldn’t tell a woman who had an isolated yeast infection to go on a candida diet. It applies more to women with chronic [vaginal yeast] infections.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

Yeast infection home remedy #2: Try over-the-counter drugsMichelle Maybury: I haven’t had one in years, but you can buy some medications over the counter now that used to be prescription-only.

Dr. Solnik: Most over-the-counter drugs have been available for a long time. No one [medication] is better than the other. The differences are in cost.

Clotrimazole and miconazole are the most well-known. They’re all vaginally applied, whether with cream or suppositories.

You can get 1-, 3- or 7-day dosages. I prefer the longer regimen of 7 days. Shorter dosages are equally effective, but one of the side effects of the medication is burning. With the longer dosage, there’s a lower concentration of the medicine and less burning, which makes the [drug] easier to tolerate.

Yeast infection home remedy #3: Eat yogurtPamela Knight: I eat a yogurt almost every day and don’t have any problems [with vaginal yeast infections].

Dr. Solnik: Yogurt hasn’t been vigorously studied. Anecdotally it seems to help some women, but it’s not consistent.

I’d recommend eating unflavored, plain yogurt, which seems to have bacteria content that can be beneficial to your health.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

Yeast infection home remedy #4. Go for probioticsHeather O’Callaghan: I drink kefir milk, which is a probiotic. Kefir is very delicious and good for us. The problem most women have is their pH level [in their vagina] becomes too acidic and not alkaline. We are what we eat and drink.

And this from Tara Miller: I take Natural Factors Women’s Probiotic [pill] every day – 2 at night – 12 billion units of probiotics and cranberry extract, and I never get vaginal yeast infections.

If you take the birth control pill, you’re more predisposed.

Dr. Solnik: Studies suggest that women on oral contraceptive pills are at higher risk for yeast infection, but most studies might check women more often, and pick up vaginal yeast infections that are not symptomatic.

Probiotics are “friendly bacteria” put into a pill that are similar to organisms that occur naturally in the digestive tract. They seem to re-establish a healthier environment in the vagina. I would definitely recommend taking probiotics for chronic vaginal yeast infections.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

Yeast infection home remedy #5. Control blood sugarsPaula Jo Waldowski: I have diabetes and it makes me have a constant yeast infection. Prescription drugs don’t help! What would?

Dr. Solnik: The first thing I would look at is: How well do you manage your diabetes? Yeast can flourish if your blood sugar is high.

Diabetes, like obesity, is a behavioral condition. Unless you change what you eat, it’s hard for the disease to change.

Yeast infection home remedy #6. Paper bag solutionSonja Godwin: Soak a brown paper bag in buttermilk, then place it on your vaginal area. This helps soothe the aches and pains, and the yeast in the buttermilk promotes healing.

Dr. Solnik: If it helps, do it. Most things that are cool or moist will help an inflamed area. Buttermilk has a lot of sugar, however, which I would suggest avoiding.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

Yeast infection home remedy #7. Stop the cycle of reinfectionChristina Gingerich: For years I have battled [vaginal yeast infections] and we learned I was being re-infected by my husband. We’re both taking two prescription drugs for it, but it’s too early to say if it is helping.

Dr. Solnik: We don’t recommend sexual intercourse if you have an active yeast infection because it’ll cause more irritation for the woman. Men may get a skin irritation from repetitive exposure to yeast.

Dr. Solnik: Grapefruit seed extract seems to help some conditions, but there’s no [research] behind it.

Yeast infection home remedy #9. Take a showerRobin Thompson: Shower right after every sexual encounter. Use unscented powder to keep dry. Wear cotton underpants.

Dr. Solnik: It’s all fine. You want to keep the vaginal area dry and avoid undue moisture. Cotton underpants are good. You should also change clothing after exercising and sweating.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

Dr. Solnik: Horseradish seems helpful for some health concerns, but I can’t really take a stand on this one.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

Dr. Solnik: Cranberry juice in high concentrations can help women with recurring bladder infections, not yeast infections. I don’t think you’ll find any research that supports or refutes the use of the last three things.

Dr. Solnik: Some research shows that there are proteins in garlic that prevent yeast from growing, but we aren’t at the point of saying clinically whether it’s useful or not in preventing vaginal yeast infections.

Yeast infection home remedy #15. Down a brewDoris Fabra: Drink lots of beer and cranberry juice.

Dr. Solnik: I’ve never heard of using beer to treat vaginal yeast infections. Beer has a potential for high sugar content, so I’d probably say no to it as a remedy.

If you’re in doubt about any of these home remedies, you can always do what Taylor Ekelmann recommends: Just bite the bullet and go to the doctor. Easy as that.

Vaginal yeast infections are as common as screaming teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert. And women have a lot of home remedies for them – from buttermilk to chewing on garlic. How do you know what will work? Lifescript asked a top OB-GYN to weigh in on cures our Facebook readers suggested...

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